Virtual Reality Therapy Could Provide Alternative
Treatment

An estimated 1 in 5 people in the U.S. have a diagnosable mental
disorder. Virtual Reality therapy has not been widely accessible to
date but could lead the path in the way doctors treat patients
without prescriptions. This kind of therapy gradually encourages
patients to face their troubling thoughts and fears directly
through a virtual system.

For most rural residents, receiving access to mental health care
can be difficult. In Alaska, a bill has been introduced which could
ease the inconvenience and allow more accessible telemedicine
services to those in need. If the bill passes, there will be a lot
of infrastructure work to get it going, but with telepsychiatry
becoming more common across the U.S., it could help improve access
to psychiatrists.

Beating the Genetic Odds of Bipolar Disorder

Patients at high genetic risk of bipolar disorder may be able to
avoid onset of the condition due to natural adaptive
neuroplasticity that allows the brain to compensate for underlying
network dysfunction associated with the condition. The research
explains that even though mental illness can run in families, it is
possible to beat the odds.

Gun Violence Is Not Just a Mental Health Issue

While mental illness is often mentioned as a factor of America's
gun violence problem, some experts say the two rarely intersect.
The rate of people with a serious mental illness committing a
violent crime is only about 2.9 percent, with most being suicide.
Some psychiatrists also point to anger as the underlying basis of
violence instead of mental illness. They also suggest the U.S.
should focus more on improving access to psychiatric care instead
of increasing gun restrictions.

Canadian Study Suggests Autism Linked to Antidepressants During
Pregnancy

One percent of the 150,000 babies in a Canadian study of pregnant
women taking antidepressants developed autistic symptoms by age
seven, which is extremely low. However, women who continued to take
antidepressants during the second and third trimesters were 87
percent more likely to deliver children who would ultimately be
diagnosed with autism. Physicians and mothers will have to discuss
options to maintain mental health during pregnancy.